Thread guiding device



Aug' 21, 1951 w. R. scHMn-z, JR 2,565,397

THREAD GUIDING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l....\|- I r;|- 41-4. .l

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THREAD GUIDING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21, 1951 w. R. scHMlTz, JR

THREAD GUIDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 9. 1949 -v @INI I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I-| I I I I I I I III III@ I I um ,w my, M WM P .im m 5 7 f ,E 5 r y Q .m m M mm w m ,Iv

Patented Aug. 21,. 1951 UNITED STATES PATE-N T OFFICE THREAD GUIDINGDEVICE William R.S`chmitz, J`r.^,.NeWark,V N. J.

Application-lilly 9, 1949,.SlerialrNo. 103,888;-

7 Claims. (Cl. 28-71.5)

The present invention relates;y to; an improved thread guiding device by means of whichA the Stringing-up of a plurality of spaced. reels with filaments orthreads may be` accomplished.

An object of the invention viste provide@ thread guiding device wherein the aforementioned Stringing-up operation may bel accomplished effectively and, in addition, wherein the wrapping of the thread or lamentabout the.- various reels isl prevented during operation thereof.

In the manufacture ofl endless, threads or filamen-ts, such as articial. silk. the, threads have heretofore been guided over. spaced reelsfor storing during variousv treating. operations that are performed upon the. threads.. In the operation of these devices it. has, been. diilicult. to. stringup the thread upon the rolls. at the-beginning of an operation or after a filament has been broken. Afurther serious diiiculty encounteredinthese mechanisms has been the tendencyof the lament to wrap around the reels. and'krequire. careful and prompt atten-tion n-order tofrestore. the mechanism to operating condition.

A device according to the. present. invention may comprise two or more, spacedand rotatable reel members and an end-less transfer belt trained around said reel membersfor guiding theleading end of a thread from theperiphery. of one reel member to the periphery of. another reel member insuch a manner that, the. thread path. dened by the reel members. isr generally in the form of a spiral.

The term spaced, as applied .tothereel mem bers in the description of this`` invention, is: intended. to mean that the peripheriesof-the. two. or. more reel members associated ina unit ofthe thread store device are disposed; wholly outsideone another.

In one preferred embodimentof the invention, two or more cylindrical reel' members are asso-V ciated in a thread guiding unit..v and? the transfer belt trained around the twoor more reel mem-A bers comprises a pair of' spaced. and flexible. and/or elastic band or chain members and a plu-V rality oi transverse rung memberssecured. at each end to a bandv or chain member, the rung members being loosely engageableinthedongitudinal grooves of the reel members-toliebelow the peripheral surfaces` thereonI and` to adjust them-- selvesv to the angular relationbetween the axes.. of rotation of the reel members.v

In another embodiment, the. transfer belt trained around the reel members comprises. a plurality of rung members. wherein.I both ends of eachrung member are suitably shapedinthe form of forwardly, extending hooksor. eyes.` engaging-l. the ends of an adj acentrung member..V

In still another preferred. embodiment. the transfer belt comprises a singlesprocket. or roller. chain, equidistantly spacedv pins of'which are ex- 2 tended transversely of the chain for looseV engagement with the grooves in the reel members:

The device of this invention is useful in a process of making or treating endless threads'or filaments, such as artificial silk, and isparticularly applicable to the manufacture and treatment of artificial silk made by the viscose process. Thus, for example, several thread gui-ding units, each comprising an association of two or more reel members and a transfer belt trained therearound, may be utilized to subject spun fibers to. successive storing, washing, desulfurizing, drying and other treatments. If desired, one or more. of the reel members in any given unit may bey partly or wholly immersed in a liquid.

One of the outstanding advantages of a device embodying the principles of this'invention isthat a thread need not be threaded manually around the device. The Wet leading end of a thread needY simply be placed on the reel or belt, whereupon itis picked up by a rung member of the'trans-V fer belt, deposited on the peripheral surface of another reel member, picked up again bya rungV member of the belt and, at the end of one cycle, carried back to the first reel member tov be de.- posited on theperiphery thereof at a point closer to the far end of the reel member. Continued'r rotation of the reel member results in repetitions of this cycle until the leading end of the thread reaches the far end of one of the reel members, whereupon it is advanced to another thread store' device forv further treatment, and finally to a. wind-up reel or the like.

This and other advantages, as well as the utility and objects ofthe invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of several preferred embodiments of the device illustrated by way of example only in the accompany ing drawing wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one preferred Figure 8V is a view in elevation of afurther ernbodiment of the transfer belt construction.

In the embodiment illustratedv in. Figures. 1v to 5, inclusive, a pair of cylindrical. reelmernbers: I 0.1 and llzaremounted iorrotationv at one orbothf. ends to. a supporting frame: member l2. Thereel member I0 is xed to a shaft I4 journaled in 2,565,397 Tinti bearing I6 and provided with a driven gear or pulley I1. The other reel member II is mounted on a shaft I9 supported at an angle to the shaft I4 in a bearing 20 which may, if desired, be adjustably secured to the frame member I2 by means of stud bolts 2l slidable laterally in slots 22.

Reel members IIJ and II are provided with a plurality of longitudinal utes or grooves 24 spaced around their peripheries. These grooves 24 preferably have an addendum with the contour of a sprocket tooth and a dedendum with the contour of a spur gear tooth. A transfer belt 26, consisting of a plurality of spaced rung members 21 extending across the belt and maintained in spaced relation to one another by a pair of flexible and/or elastic band members 29, is trained around the reel members I and II.

The spacing of the flutes or grooves 24 on the peripheries of the reel members I0 and II and of the rung members 21 is such that the rung members will engage with the grooves. The depth, and width at the bottom, of the grooves 24 are such, in relation to the diameter of the rung members 21, that the rung members will lie loosely in the grooves below the exposed peripheral surfaces 30 of the reel members I and I I and have suicient clearance to permit longitudinal adjustment of their positions within the grooves to compensate for the angle between the axes of rotation of the two reel members.

In operation, the thread guiding device, illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, is actuated by rotating shaft I4 by any suitable means. The wet leading end of a thread is fed onto the reel member Ill at A. The end adheres alternately to one of the reel members I0 and I I and to a rung member 21 and is, by reason of the adjustments of the position of the rung member 21 within the grooves to compensate for the angle between the axes of the reel members, advanced spirally around the reel members I0 and II and over the rung members 21 of the conveyor belt 26 until it is withdrawn at B for further processing. The tension of the transfer belt 26 can readily be adjusted by loosening stud bolts 2I and moving the bearing 2D for the shaft I9 toward or away from the shaft I4 and then tightening the stud bolts 2|.

Referring to the modifications shown in Figures 6 and 7, reels 3l and 32 correspond to reels I Il and II of the form of the invention shown in Figures l to 5. A transfer belt 33 which may, if desired, be in the form of an endless chain, is threaded over the reels, the reels being provided with grooves 24 similar to those formed in reels III and I I. The transfer belt 33 is formed with rungs 34 corresponding to the rung members 21 in the form of the device shown in Figures 1 to 5, such rungs being received in the aforesaid grooves 24. It will be observed that the axes of the reels 3| and 32 lie in horizontal planes that are parallel to each other, but that the axes are askew and lie in different vertical planes which intersect. This will be readily apparent from Figure 7. The feeding of the thread or filament onto the rolls is accomplished in a manner similar to` mounted in the same vertical plane, but the axes thereof are askew inasmuch as the axis ofthe upper reel 35 at the right-hand end thereof is spaced farther from the axis of the lower reel 36 at its right-hand end than the corresponding axes are spaced at the left-hand ends of the reels. In this fashion a thread or filament that is passed around both reels will gradually advance toward the left-hand ends of the reels as the reels rotate in unison. In order that the device may be made self-Stringing in accordance with the present invention, an endless conveyor belt, shown generally at 31, is provided. This belt may be formed of an endless chain 38 which may be mounted over sprockets carried by the shafts 39 and 40 of the respective reels 35 and 3B. Certain of the links of the chain 38 are provided with rungs 4I which project toward the left as viewed in Figure 8, and these rungs may be received within partial grooves formed in the reels 35 and 36, if desired. On the other hand, if preferred, the reels 35 and 36 may be entirely plain, `and the conveyor mechanism with the rungs thereof may be adapted to pass over the peripheral surfaces of the reels.

In operation, the device of Figure 8 functions as a self-Stringing device and wrap-preventing device during the self-Stringing operation. For example, a thread or filament is applied to the rung or rungs of the conveyor 31, and a band of a filament is permitted to form or build up thereon. If the thread is then lapped back over itself, i. e., if the free leading end is held, a slack part of the thread is dropped on the reel and the free end is then moved toward the right-hand end of the reel member so that it is lapped over the thread thereon, the band is advanced beyond the ends of the rungs 4I and upon the reels 35 and 36. At this point the band progresses outwardly to the left and is followed by the continuous thread or filament which forms a spiral path between and over the reels 35 and 35. Aftel` the band leaves the rungs 4I, the device is no longer wrap-preventing, but while the band is being formed and while it is upon the conveyor belt, the device is wrap-preventing.

It is to be understood that the use of the term thread or lament in this specification is merely descriptive of material that may be treated appropriately on the device and includes not only single and multiple laments, but also bands, ribbons, cords, tow and rope. It is not intended as a word of limitation, and the invention is not tobe limited save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members at least one of which is rotatable, said rotatable member being formed with a plurality of grooves, means to mount said members in spaced relationship with their axes non-parallel, means to rotate the rotatable member, an endless thread transfer mechanism mounted over the members, and driven by the rotatable member, and a plurality of spaced elements on the endless transfer mechanism to guide thread between the members, said spaced elements being received in the grooves in the rotatable member.

2. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members at least one of which is rotatable, said rotatable member being formed with a plurality of longitudinal grooves, means to mount said members in spaced relationship with their axes non-parallel, means to rotate the rotatable member, an endless thread transfer mechanismmounted over the members,

and driven by the rotatable member, and a plurality of spaced elements on the endless transfer mechanism to guide thread between the members, said spaced elements being received in the grooves in the rotatable member.

3. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members at least one of which is rotatable, said rotatable member being formed with a plurality of grooves, means to mount said members in spaced relationship, means to rotate the rotatable member, an endless thread transfer mechanism mounted over the members and driven by the rotatable member, and a plurality of spaced elements on the endless transfer mechanism to guide the thread between the members, said spaced elements being received in the grooves in the rotatable member and adapted to slide longitudinally therein.

4. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members at least one of which is rotatable, said rotatable member being formed with a plurality of grooves, means to mount said members in spaced relationship, means to rotate the rotatable member, an endless flexible thread transfer mechanism mounted over the members and driven by the rotatable member, and a plurality of spaced elements on the endless transfer mechanism `to guide the thread between the members, said spaced elements being received in the grooves in the rotatable member and adapted to slide longitudinally therein.

5. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members at least one of which is rotatable, said rotatable member being formed with a plurality of grooves, means to mount said members in spaced relationship, means to rotate the rotatable member, an endless thread transfer mechanism mounted over the members and driven by the rotatable member, said endless thread transfer mechanism comprising spaced flexible endless members having a plurality of spaced elements therebetween 6 to guide the thread between the first named spaced members., said spaced elements being adapted to be received in the grooves in the rotatable member, and being adapted to slide longitudinally therein.

6. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members formed with longitudinal grooves, means to mount said members rotatably in spaced relationship with their axes non-parallel, an endless thread transfer mechanism mounted over the supporting members and comprising spaced flexible endless members having a plurality of spaced elements therebetween adapted to lie in the longitudinal grooves to guide the thread between the rst named spaced members.

7. Thread guiding mechanism comprising at least two supporting members formed with longitudinal grooves, means to mount said members rotatably in spaced relationship with their axes non-parallel, an endless thread transfer mechanism mounted over the supporting members and comprising spaced flexible endless members having a plurality of spaced elements therebetween adapted to lie in the longitudinal grooves and being of less thickness than the depth of the grooves, to guide the thread between the first named spaced members.

WILLIAM R. SCHMITZ, JR.

'REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 416,395 Campbell et al. Dec. 3, 1889 1,744,779 Massingham Jan. 28, 1930 2,002,995 Hartmann et al. May 28, 1935 2,136,556 Lovett Nov. 15, 1938 2,338,755 Cole Jan. 11, 1944 2,385,894 Taylor Oct. 2, 1945 

